Renovations are finally complete at what was once Stapleton Airport. Beneath the control tower that helped guide planes in and out of Denver now sits a new and very different Denver institution: Punch Bowl Social.

The Denver-based company with its flagship location on the corner of 1st and Broadway opens its second hometown location and 10th overall Saturday.

More than any other location, Punch Bowl Stapleton is heavy on the midcentury modern design, said Robert Thomson, Punch Bowl Social’s founder and CEO. There are tributes to air travel throughout the two-story space, including retro luggage and luggage tag decor.

And while the menu will offer a lot that’s familiar to any previous Punch Bowl customer, it’ll also have unique items that tip a hat to aviation. Naturally, one of those things in an Aviation cocktail. There’s also an In-Flight Snack of chile-lime fried peanuts for each table and a Pre-Flight Check — any breakfast, salad or sandwich with a single-serving cocktail for $15 served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

And as a reminder, no, you won’t be able to access the control tower — though they did spruce it up on the outside.

“We couldn’t figure out a way to make it ADA compliant and make it make ADA-compliant money in 400 square feet,” Thomson told Denverite in September. “[But] it’s not out of the picture for the future.”

Sun shines on some of the original Stapleton Airport slabs through airplane punchouts. Punch Bowl Social Stapleton days before its grand opening, Nov. 15, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)An old Stapleton Airport terminal sign that’s now a bench. Punch Bowl Social Stapleton days before its grand opening, Nov. 15, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Punch Bowl Stapleton’s grand opening is tonight, starting with a $20 ticketed event from 7 to 9 p.m. That’ll include featuring tastes of the menu, unlimited select drinks, free games and live music. And fitting in nicely with Homelessness Awareness Week, all of the proceeds will be donated to local hunger-relief nonprofit We Don’t Waste.

Author: Ashley Dean

Ashley Dean is the assistant editor and culture reporter for Denverite. She previously covered music and did some copy editing for the Denver Post, the Colorado Daily and the Daily Camera. She's from New York, likes bourbon straight and is happy that Kanye seems happy. She dreams of someday holding the title of Nightlife Mayor. Find her at adean@denverite.com, 303-502-2804 or @AshleyDean.
View all posts by Ashley Dean

Hi! You’re like us!

Looks like you're the type of person who reads to the ends of articles! Well, true believer, you might really like our newsletters, which deliver Denver news in 5 minutes in the mornings and weekday afternoons. We've also got newsletters for parents, sports fans and geek culture fanatics. Sign up now!